With Christmas right around the corner, I’ll keep the Christmas facts coming.
Why do you have to water your Christmas tree?
Trees are losing water all the time, mainly through their leaves (a needle is a modified leaf). It happens through a process called transpiration. This is when water is either purposely released or evaporated from the leaf into the atmosphere. This creates an area at the top and tips of the tree that are dryer than other parts (i.e. the roots).
Trees have roots that are designed to pull in water (via osmosis) and transport it through channels of dead cells called xylem. The xylem are tubes that run throughout the tree that carry only water and dissolved minerals. Since water is being lost at the top of the tree due to transpiration (causing a decrease in hydrostatic (water) pressure), water is then passively pulled up the tree through the xylem.
It works kind of like a paper towel. If you stick the tip of a paper towel in water, the water will slowly move up the towel until the whole thing is wet. Water has great properties that allow this movement from wet to dry areas to happen. A post dedicated to water is coming soon.
Since your Christmas tree has no roots, it skips that part and just starts pulling water from your tree stand straight up through the xylem. The xylem cells are already dead so they still work just fine. Remember that your tree is already dead and the water is just helping preserve it a little longer. Nothing you can do can make your tree nice and pretty forever – well, unless it’s a fake one. People forget that at first because the tree takes in so much water. That’s just because it has been sitting around drying out in a tree lot.
To keep your tree happy, cut the base once you get it home so the xylem is exposed and able to start drinking. Myths like adding aspirin, sugar and other things to your tree to make them last longer are just that – myths.
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